Systems using (3D) maps of at least a part of a body of a user

Abstract

An apparatus is provided to receive a three-dimensional (3D) map of at least a part of a body of a user. A tunable VCSEL laser has one or more active regions having quantum wells and barriers, the active regions surrounded by one or more p-n junctions, the one or more active regions can include a selected shape structure, as well as one or more tunnel junctions (TJ), one or more apertures are provided with the selected shape structure, one or more buried tunnel junctions (BTJ) or oxide confine apertured, additional TJ's, planar structures and or additional BTJ's created during a regrowth process that is independent of a first growth process with a VCSEL output. Optics collect and focus light emitted by the output of the VCSEL laser defining a baseline light pattern having a given pitch, corresponding to a two-dimensional pattern of the optical emitters on a substrate, producing and projecting multiple overlapping replicas of the baseline light pattern with a composite pattern density that is finer than the pitch of the baseline light pattern.

The invention claimed is: 
     
       1. A system adapted to receive a three-dimensional (3D) map of at least a part of a body of a user, comprising:
 a tunable VCSEL laser including: 
 a first mirror; 
 one or more active regions with a first active region adjacent to the first mirror, each of an active region including quantum wells and barriers, each of an active region surrounded by one or more p-n junctions, the one or more active regions including a selected shape structure each with a tunnel junction (TJ); 
 one or more apertures provided with the selected shape structure; 
 one or more buried tunnel junctions (BTJ), additional TJ's, planar structures and/or additional BTJ's are created during a regrowth process that is independent of a first growth process of the first mirror, the active region and the one or more TJs; 
 one or more electrical confinement apertures defined by the one or more BTJ's, additional TJ's, planar structures and/or additional BTJ; 
 a vertical resonator cavity disposed over the electrical confinement aperture; 
 a high contrast grating (HCG) operating as a second mirror positioned over the vertical resonator cavity, the HCG configured to reflect a first portion of light back into the vertical resonator cavity, and a second portion of the light as an output beam from the tunable VCSEL laser, the HCG structure being layered on the selected shape structure; 
 wherein a shape of the output beam of the tunable VCSEL laser is determined by a geometric shape of the one or more BTJ apertures, apertures for additional TJ's, planar structures and/or additional BTJ's, with a transmission function of the HCG and is designed according to the desired optical transmission function of the application; and 
 optics configured to collect and focus light emitted by the output of the tunable VCSEL laser defining a baseline light pattern having corresponding to a two-dimensional pattern of the optical emitters on a substrate, producing and projecting multiple overlapping replicas of the baseline light pattern with a composite pattern density that is finer than the pitch of the baseline light pattern. 
 
     
     
       2. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the output of the tunable VCSEL laser has a long wavelength. 
     
     
       3. The system of  claim 2 , wherein the long wavelength is from 1 micron to 1.7 microns. 
     
     
       4. The system of  claim 3 , wherein the long wavelength is 1.365 microns. 
     
     
       5. The system of  claim 4 , wherein the tunable VCSEL laser includes an indium phosphide substrate. 
     
     
       6. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the output of the tunable VCSEL laser is a long wavelength, at least partially created from indium phosphide structure in the laser structure. 
     
     
       7. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tunable VCSEL laser includes or is coupled to a top DBR or a high contrast grating (HCG). 
     
     
       8. The system of  claim 1 , wherein a bottom DBR is a semiconductor DBR or a combination of a semiconductor DBR with a dielectric coating. 
     
     
       9. The system of  claim 8 , wherein the dielectric coating improves a broadening of a tuning range of the tunable VCSEL laser. 
     
     
       10. The system of  claim 1 , tunable VCSEL laser includes a dielectric coating. 
     
     
       11. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tunable VCSEL laser operates in a single mode or a multi-mode operation. 
     
     
       12. The system of  claim 11 , wherein dimensions of the aperture and HCG are contributing factors to a single mode operation. 
     
     
       13. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tunable VCSEL laser operates in a single mode. 
     
     
       14. The system of  claim 1 , wherein the tunable VCSEL laser can deploy multiple tunnel junctions to enhance the output of the tunable VCSEL laser. 
     
     
       15. The system of  claim 1 , wherein buried tunnel junctions improve an energy efficiency of the tunable VCSEL laser. 
     
     
       16. The system of  claim 15 , further comprising:
 a sweep source to provide that the VCSEL laser output is swept by modulating the HCG grating up and down, wherein when the HCG moves closes to a bottom portion of the VCSEL laser a wavelength changes and returns closer to an original output of the VCSEL laser. 
 
     
     
       17. The system of  claim 1 , wherein a wavelength of the tunable VCSEL laser output can be swept to provide improved resolution. 
     
     
       18. The system of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 a mem's structure coupled to the HCG grating or top DBR to create a swept source. 
 
     
     
       19. The system of  claim 1 , wherein multiple tunnel junctions are provided that increase an optical power of the VCSEL laser.